Tangled Up
by Lazarus18
Summary: An orphan boy who became a theif, and a thief who became a hero, Eugene was ready to turn his back on his past for good. But on the eve of Rapunzel and his' wedding, the kindgom is attacked and Eugene is forced to face the past he wanted to forget.
1. Prologue

_Prologue _

_There once was this book. A book that a little boy used to read every night to all the younger kids in the orphanage. The Tales of Flynnagan Rider; swashbuckling rogue, richest man alive, and apparently, not bad with the ladies either. Not that he'd ever brag about it, of course._

_But I'm not here to tell you that. _

_This story, actually, is about a man. Named Eugene Fitzherbert. And unlike my story, his starts….with the moon. _

_That's right. Rapunzel speaking. I figured since he told my story, I should return the favor and tell his. _

_But anyway, it all started back on a full moon night…._

"Keep away from the window sweet heart," cooed the gentle voice of his aunt, her hand landing on the shoulder of her four year old nephew.

His big gold eyes turned and looked up at her, the book he had under his elbows laying open, ready to be read. "But I wanna see daddy when he comes home!"

The aunt chuckled "I know, I know. C'mon now…" she urged him gently away from the window and the little boy pouted.

"But Auntiiiiieee!"

"Don't you 'but auntie' me," she scolded with a chuckle. "Now go set the table."

The little boy suddenly collapsed dramatically on the floor and whined "I caaaaan't, my legs are brokeeeennnn."

She scrambled to catch the gelatinous mass that was now her nephew "Oh, stop it child! You're just fine."

"Nuh uuuuh see?" he picked up a lag and let it flop back on the floor. The mother scoffed then gave her son a gentle nudge with her foot. The boy just rolled like a rag doll.

Scoffing, the aunt shook her head but could not help but smile "Eugene, what am I going to do with you?"

Suddenly, a loud crash come from outside. The aunt gasped and jerked her head toward the door. Eugene suddenly sprung to life and bolted back for the window. "Dad's home!"

Scrambling up the chair set under the sill, Eugene pushed the tattered curtains aside and peeked out. The dock loomed near by, and the water was covered in a thick fog that made the lanterns nearly impossible to see. The full moon above head set a an eerie glow to the atmosphere, but Eugene just starred outside eagerly. His Aunt, less eager, came up behind him and looked out to the peer as well.

For a moment…everything was silent.

And then a few forms walked out of the hazy fog. Eugene stared in anticipation, little body tensing as he tried to make out each face of the oncoming forms. And then he gasped.

"Daddy!"

He couldn't see his face through the fog, but Eugene knew it was his father by the broad shoulders and the big thighs. And when he cried out, the form lifted a hand and waved. The aunt let out a sigh of relief before she squeezed her son's shoulder. "Go say hello Euge-"

She paused and frowned out the window.

The small spark in the fog came from behind the men walking from the dock, and then came the whistle, a far off sound that only grew louder until suddenly a cannon ripped through the home across the street. As wood and fire exploded in a loud chaotic firework, the aunt grabbed her nephew and yanked him away from the window, shielding him from shards and splinters. Jerking her head up, she looked at the window and curtains, which were now shattered and on fire.

As she stood Eugene up and urgently pushed him toward the back of the house, another explosion rocked the street and made them stumble.

"Go, Eugene! Run!" the aunt said, pushing him along, though he fought against her.

"No! Daddy!"

The Aunt resorted to picking the boy up and tucking her under her arm before she bolted for the back door as the fire crawled up the ceiling of their home. Eugene kicked and screamed the whole way.

The Aunt reached the door as glass exploded from the heat behind them, and more cannons ripped through the dock homes. She ripped the handle and the door swung open, and she took a step outside but stopped short. The fog ahead of them flickered and then the whistle came, sounding the alert that a cannon had been fired. Right at them.

Screaming, the aunt turned away from the door just in time to dodge the cannon as it flew right inside the open door and struck the main pillar supporting the old home. Hunks of wood and pillars came showering down, blocking the front door and the back door, filling the kitchen area and setting fire to what was not already smoldering. The aunt clung to her nephew, who now clung to her without complaint, and she looked around hopelessly for a way to get out. The heat made her dark red hair fall and curl from her light purple bandana, soot covered her cheeks and smoke made her choke. It was hard to see….the exits were blocked. The heat was terrible, the smoke consuming. She kicked at the hunks of wood blocking the door, but they didn't budge. The pulled at the wood on the windows, but it only sent more wood crumbling down.

Lost, the aunt panted and looked down at the boy in her arms, and he looked up at her with fear and confusion.

Oh God…what could she do? Well….what else could she do? She untied the bandana from her head then tied it around the boy's nose and mouth, hoping it would save him from inhaling smoke, and then she hugged him tight to her body and tucked her legs around him. Eugene hugged her as well. He didn't protest. He didn't fight. It was like he knew the impossibility of the situation, and instead of panicking, he tried to sooth his aunt. "Its okay…..daddy will save us…"

The aunt's tears cut clean lines down her dirty cheeks and she could only hug the boy tighter. She heard the roof creaking above them, groaning under the onslaught of the fire, weakening by the second. Soon, it would collapse.

Through the roar of the fire, the aunt began to sing softly a gentle lullaby "Baby's boats a silver moon, sailing o'er the sky….sailing o'er the sea of dew ..while the clouds float on by…" she stroked Eugene's hair, her voice weak and cracking. "Baby's fishing for a dream, fishing near and far…his line a silver moonbeam, his bait a silver star….sail baby sail out across the gleaming sea …only don't forget… to sail back to me."

The ceiling gave a final loud creak, and the woman sucked in a breath before covering Eugene with as much of her body as possible, though she knew it would be pointless, and hoped that it would be quick.

But then loud thumping came from above. And then a loud burst like another ball had come screaming inside. The aunt flinched, expecting the worst.

"Give me your hand!" cried a urgent, masculine voice.

Gasping, the aunt jerked her head up. Having punched through the window, Eugene's father stood reaching his hand into the hole he managed to make, she could see her brother's gold eyes through the smoke and heard his urging, "Come on!"

"Daddy!" Eugene cried with a big smile behind the bandana and instantly reached for him. The Aunt stood up and picked Eugene up, handing him over to the outstretched hands.

"C'mon son, I gotcha.." the father cooed as he took hold of his boy and eased him through the hole.

Outside, the air was a blast of cold. People ran screaming, their homes and livelihood blazing into the clear sky. Eugene looked about, big eyes taking in the chaos though hardly processing it all. He was carried away from the fire and set down behind a water trough in place that was not on fire.

"Stay here." his father ordered. Eugene nodded fast.

The dad turned away and ran back for the blazing house. Eugene peeked around the trough, pulling off the bandana from his face and watched. His father booked it back for the house, but in a split second the roof caved in. Fire and embers exploded everywhere, making the dad come to a sudden halt and block his face with his arms. Eugene's eyes grew big….

When the blast subsided, his father cried "Arial!"

Starring at the smoldering remains of the home, there was no sign of her under the wreckage. Panting, his father's wide eyes shut tight as he bowed his head. Eugene tentatively steps out from behind the trough and walked toward his father. He was stopped short as another blast shook the place and Eugene fell over. The dad jerked his head up and looked ton the dock. By now, what had been the source of the blasts had pulled up to the dock. It's white sails snapped in the wind, and its black flag spin on its line.

Pirates.

And they were leaping off the side of their ship and running up the dock. Their evil laughter filled the air, mixing with the screams of the people as they drew their swords and advanced. The father came running back so his son and picked him up. He then turned and ran with the flow of the rest of the citizens.

The Royal guard arrived not long after, and they drew their swords and formed a barrier between the rest of the city and the pirates. As people ran past them, they seemed t be safe.

Eugene reached the line and stopped short. "Where are the rest of you?" he asked his friend, who happened to be the captain of the guard.

"Out searching for the flower. We have secured the perimeter. Get into the heart of the city and you'll be safe."

The father passed Eugene along to a fellow guard standing near by. "Take him away from here…" he breathed. Eugene let himself get passed along until he heard that, and then he suddenly jerked in the guard's grasp and turned.

"Daddy!"

The man put a hand on his son's cheek. "Go with the nice man, son. I'll come find you when this is all over. I promise."

Lip trembling, Eugene hesitantly nodded. The father gave one last look at his son before he turned away. The guard took Eugene and ran into the city, and Eugene looked over the soldier's golden armor at the form of his father disappearing into the distance. The father drew a sword from his hip and stood with the soldiers, a great swordsman ready to fight to protect what remained of his family…..

_It was the last time Eugene ever saw his father. The brave outline of a strong man standing in the fog as the pirates closed in. _

_The pirates were eventually driven off- having only invaded the peer for provisions, but they had taken hostages with them. Eugene's father….was one of them. _

_In the end the little boy had no family left. The only thing recovered from the wreckage of his home was a solitary leather book. It was all Eugene had left. _

_When the news came that his father was lost, Eugene was taken to an orphanage. When years passed, it became obvious the promise made would never be kept, but the boy waited for the return of his dad all the same. Standing on the peer every day, he looked out on the sea for the flicker of the black flag of the ship, hoping one day his only family…..would return. _


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Flynn covered his face to stifle a sneeze, the sound a loud burst among the bustle that was around the room. Servants ran amuck everywhere, all in a tizzy, ribbons of yellow measuring tape flying, pins in teeth, clothing whipping about and cotton and dust exploding in clouds of sunlight from the windows. Flynn, aka Eugene, aka the new prince of the Island Kingdom, took a step off the small stool he was perched on to get a Kleenex, but was instantly pushed right back up on the stool and handed a cloth. Hesitantly taking it, he wiped his nose then looked around. He stepped off the stool again to go open a window and relieve some of the up-stirred dust , but was yet again pushed back up on the stool.

Stumbling, he said "I-hey! I was just gonna open a window-"

"Open a window!" Called a plump woman servant, and instantly all four of the floor-to-ceiling windows were shoved open. As the breeze swept in and carried a stream of cream curtains into the blinding sunlight, Flynn sighed. He would never get used to all this. This….fondling, priming and pampering. And to think at one point the actually wanted a castle of his own. The plump servant grabbed his arm and yanked it up, making Flynn 'erk!', and she held up a yellow line of measuring tape.

"Hey, hey-" And not a second later, someone was at his feet, measuring him from toe to hip. "Guys, you really don't have to-" Flynn tried to gently get their attention, but was cut off as a line of measuring tape was flung around his forehead and he was bent backwards. The measures were shouted out, a servant with a parchment and Quill jotted them down, and then the servants were off doing something else in a blink. Flynn sighed and his shoulders sagged. All this chaos was making him dizzy, and he wasn't even moving. He glanced at the full body mirror at his side, and looked at his reflection.

He straitened slightly….. Prince. He was about to become prince. A few years ago this would have been a dream come true. Going from having nothing to having all of this? Well, don't get him wrong, all this wealth and power were great but really…..what does a orphan know about leading a country? Better yet, what does an orphan _thief _know about leading a country? Thank God for his wife-to-be Rapunzel. She seemed to know exactly what to do. He saw the door in the reflection crack open and in poked the cropped brown hair of the lost princess. Mood instantly lifted, Flynn pivoted away from the mirror and smiled big at her.

Rapunzel, seeing the chaos in the room and the briefed look on her soon-to-be husband's face, could only chuckle as she stepped inside, clinging the purple robe tight around her neck . "Alright, alright Broomhilda, I think you've stripped and measured him enough. May I have a moment with him please?" The large woman smiled sweetly, a bravado she had not graced Flynn with, and bowed.

"Of course my lady." As everyone filed out of the room, Rapunzel moved a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled at her feet. She too wasn't used to the royal treatment, but like everything else her life, she was handling it with amazing grace. Once the door shut behind her, she lifted her big green eyes to Flynn.

He let out a loud sigh and stepped off the stool with a grace of a rag doll, arms swinging like he was too spent to carry them on his torso, and walked over to her. "Thaaaaank yoooou."

Rapunzel chuckled sweetly and lifted a hand up to him as he approached her. She touched his cheek, stroking down to his goatee and holding his chin up. "I'm sorry."

In her hands, the trouble of the world was suddenly gone, and Flynn could pull on his bravado muster a shrug "Meh, well….I'll get over it." he gave her a little smile and Rapunzel hummed a soft chuckle before standing on her toes and kissing the side of his mouth. She then crossed the room, a breeze from the open windows blowing against her robe, showing a bit of leg . Flynn's eyebrow rose and a smirk crossed his lips.

Rapunzel turned and sat on the little cushioned bench with a sigh, as if she were just as tired as he had felt. "I cant believe the wedding is in two days…."

Flynn's eyes rolled "No kidding…"

Rapunzel leaned her elbows on her knees as she spoke to the floor "I mean…two years have passed, and yet it all seems to be moving so fast."

Flynn walked over and sat next to her, the little bench just barely big enough to hold them both. He sat in the same fashion she did; elbows on his knees. "Hard to believe time can move so fast, huh."

She nods "I mean….being up in that tower, the days took forever. Time almost seemed irrelevant because I was stuck in a norm. But now, with so much to see, and so much to do and experience….I feel like I have no time at all."

He nods and rubs his chin, "Well weddings do have a way of sucking up the time."

Surprised, she turned her head toward him "You've been to a wedding?"

A sly smirk spread his lips as he continued to absently stare off and stroke his chin. "A few…"

"Well, what are they like?"

He shrugged and dropped his hand "I'm not really the right person to ask that question considering the times I attended I…wasn't really a guest. But mostly its like a big party. Kind of like the one the kingdom threw the day you returned."

Rapunzel's eyes filled with fear "They don't last a whole week do they?" not that she didn't enjoy that week of celebrating but really…a day would have sufficed.

"Oh yeah, they last a good two weeks, actually."

Rapunzel felt her stomach tighten. Good Lord…_two weeks?_

Flynn glanced her way and then barked a laugh, "I'm kidding."

"Oh you-!" Rapunzel smacked Flynn's arm, but he only laughed in response. Rapunzel tried hard not to smile, but when it pushed her cheeks anyway, she huffed and turned her back to him, not wanting to give him the luxury of seeing her smile. That only made him laugh harder.

"Oh, stop worrying so much, sweet heart," Flynn said. "The wedding should only last a day."

She sighed, shoulders seeming to relax, or maybe fall more into dismay. She turned back around and faced him, playing with the hem of her robe. "Aren't you….scared?"

Those big green eyes of hers looked up at him with such a child-like innocence and fear that for a moment Flynn could only stare. The pleading for an answer, a reassurance that everything would be okay, was bright as day in that freckled little pixie face. It took him off guard, but it made the male in him forget about his own fears and demand of him to be tough as well.

Flynn glances away from her and cleared his throat. "Uh…no….kind of….maybe just a little…"

Rapunzel continued to play with her robe, starring off with eyes wide and forlorn thoughts. "We'll be married. Committed to each other for the rest of our lives."

"Mh hmm."

"And then we'll be crowned prince and princess."

"Mh hmm."

"Expectations will be on us. We'll have to rule an entire country. Attend meetings, "

"Mh hmm."

"Fight wars, mediate with other kings and queens,"

"….mh hmm…."

"People will be looking to _us when times get hard! And the expectation of classes on good etiquette, reading, dance, food, and not to mention heirs to the throne-"_

"O-kaaay! I think you've made your point, hun," Flynn patted her arm lovingly, but kept his gaze from her as he chuckled nervously.

Rapunzel sighed, "I just….I'm terrified, Eugene. What if….what if I'm not a good queen? What if I lead these people into some kind of chaotic destruction?"

Flynn had to smile at the tenderness and concern in her heart. She was afraid for her people, thinking she wouldn't be enough for them. It was then that he decided that his fears were trivial compared to hers, and that he would set aside his concerns for sake of being there for his bride. "You wont."

She looked up at him, "How can you be so sure?"

"Because I'd like to wager that I know you better than anyone in this kingdom. I've seen you conquer many things and overcome impossible situations, and all with a grace and wisdom I've only read about in stories." He took her hands and kisses her knuckles. "You will be a fine queen. One that was and is worth waiting for."

Rapunzel smiled tenderly, then brushed the dark bangs from Flynn's golden eyes. "And you will make a fine king."

Flynn glanced down for a moment, unable to truly believe that, but he offered her a little smile all the same.

After a moment Rapunzel stood up again. "You're right. Everything will be fine. I'm just worrying too much I guess." Flynn kept hold of her hand as she stood, and still could only smile. She leaned down and kissed his forehead before she straitened and walked away. Her little hand slid from his grasp, and Flynn watched her glide to the door. He still watched as she opened the doors and paused. Still met her eyes when she looked back at him. And still felt his heart flutter when she giggled then pranced out the door.


End file.
